38M Toldi IIA

Kingdom of Hungary (1942-1945)
Light Tank – 80 Converted

At the onset of the Second World War in Europe, Hungary possessed only a modest number of armored vehicles. By 1941, these were reinforced by the introduction of the Toldi I and II light tanks. However, experience gained from the Eastern Front swiftly revealed the obsolescence of this vehicle. Hindered by a lack of industrial capacity needed to ramp up production of superior tanks, the Hungarians resorted to modifying the available Toldis. This involved installing a 4 cm gun and improving the frontal armor protection, creating the Toldi IIA.

Hungarian Armored Developments

The Hungarian armored forces began their intensive development in the 1930s. This began with the acquisition of over 100 CV.33/35 fast tanks from Italy in violation of the Treaty of Trianon, which prohibited this type of acquisition. However, these tanks were far from ideal, lacking proper offensive armament and protection. Given the geopolitical climate in Europe at the time, Hungary had limited options to address these shortcomings.

In 1936, the Hungarian Army sought to modernize its armored forces by exploring alternative tank options. Fortunately, Sweden emerged as a willing supplier. Hungary procured one L-60 light tank from Sweden for testing purposes. The results of these tests were promising, leading to the acquisition of a license for production. This tank, with some modifications, would later be adopted as the 38M Toldi (also referred to as Toldi I or Toldi A20). Following the success of the Toldi I, Hungary initiated production of the second series, designated as the Toldi B20 (Toldi II). This variant remained largely similar to its predecessor, but incorporated domestic components and structural enhancements, particularly in the suspension system. Production of these tanks was undertaken by the Hungarian firms MÁVAG (Magyar Királyi Állami Vas-, Acél- és Gépgyárak; Hungarian Royal State Iron, Steel and Machine Factories) and Ganz. Between April 1940 and December 1942, 190 Toldi light tanks were manufactured.

The Toldi I and II emerged as notable tank designs for the pre-war era, having an armor thickness of up to 13 mm and equipped with weaponry consisting of a 20 mm 36M anti-tank rifle and an 8 mm 34/37M machine gun. Their baptism of fire came during the war against Yugoslavia in April 1941.

Although Hungary hesitated to engage with the Soviets, it aligned with the Axis powers during Operation Barbarossa. In support of the invasion of the Soviet Union, Hungary committed the 1st and 2nd Motorized Brigades, along with the 2nd Cavalry Brigade. However, due to a shortage of Toldi tanks, around 60 Italian-built fast tanks had to be used to supplement the three brigades.

By the end of the year, Hungarian tank losses had soared, resulting in the loss of all fast tanks and 80% of Toldis, primarily due to mechanical breakdowns. Fortunately, the majority of these tanks were retrieved and sent back to Hungary for extensive repairs and overhauls. The combat experiences of 1941 underscored the deficiencies of the Toldi, particularly its armament and armor. While its main gun could contend with lightly protected Soviet pre-war designs, it proved ineffective against the formidable T-34 and KV series tanks. Moreover, its armor was inadequate, easily penetrable by Soviet anti-tank weaponry, including anti-tank rifles.

Attempting to Improve the Toldi

Following the conclusion of the 1941 campaign, the Hungarian High Command had to decide what to do with the Toldi tanks. Removing them from service due to their obvious obsolescence was not an option. The Hungarians simply lacked other armored vehicles that could replace them in sufficient numbers. Because of this, the Toldis had to remain in service, being allocated to secondary roles, such as reconnaissance, command, liaison, and even as ambulances.

Despite this, Hungarian Army officials still held onto some hope that the Toldi could undergo improvements. The Military Technical Institute took up this challenge in 1941, conducting calculations that quickly revealed the Toldi’s chassis’s limits. The chassis could sustain a maximum weight of 700 kg before compromising its overall performance. This limitation meant that significant changes, such as adding stronger armor and firepower, could only be implemented to a limited extent, disappointing those who had hoped for substantial enhancements to the tank. The Hungarian Army had envisioned mounting a 4 cm gun on the Toldi and even anticipated an order for 280 such vehicles. However, frontline troops demanded better tanks than the existing Toldis, leaving the army with no alternative but to green-light the improvement project for the Toldi.

The Military Technical Institute was tasked with the challenge of installing a 4 cm tank gun inside the Toldi’s turret, along with better frontal armor protection. Interestingly, the idea of incorporating the 4 cm gun had been proposed long before the Toldi entered production. However, it was initially rejected due to concerns about the extensive redesign required for the turret to accommodate the gun. Nevertheless, during the winter of 1941-1942, work commenced on two prototypes. The installation proved feasible, resulting in a total weight increase of 500 kg.

Name

The improved model received the 38M Toldi IIA designation. To distinguish it from the previous versions and to indicate the improved armament, the Toldi B40 designation was also used by the Hungarians during the war.

Production

Due to Hungary’s limited production capabilities, the decision was made to build the new Toldi IIA using the existing Toldi I/II models that had been retrieved from the frontlines. Although the prototypes underwent successful testing in early 1942, the conversion process itself was significantly delayed, commencing only in early 1943 and progressing at a slow pace. By late 1944, approximately 80 vehicles had been converted in total.

Design

While the Toldi’s original shape remained the same, some minor changes were made to the hull, with more extensive ones done to the turret.

Hull

The overall hull’s design was left unchanged. It had a standard layout, which consisted of the forward-mounted transmission, the central crew compartment, and the rear engine compartment. It was encased in a protective armored superstructure. The only visual changes that could be noticed on the upper glacis were the headlight and grilled ventilation ports, which were removed. Instead, two rectangular-shaped armored covers were installed.

Suspension

There were few changes to the construction of the suspension and the transmission compared to the original Toldi model. The suspension used a torsion bar system. It consisted of one front drive sprocket, one rear idler, four larger road wheels, and two return rollers. While this suspension did the job, it did not provide a gentle ride. To cope with the increased weight, the suspension was strengthened.

Engine

The Toldi IIA was equipped with a German-built Büssing NAG L8V eight-cylinder petrol engine, delivering 155 hp @2,200. This upgrade pushed the overall weight from 8.5 to 9.35 tonnes. Consequently, both the maximum top speed and operational range experienced slight reductions. The top speed decreased from 50 to 47 km/h, while the operational range shifted from 220 to 190 km.

Superstructure

On top of this hull, an armored superstructure that narrowed as it went toward the engine compartment was placed. On the vehicle’s left front side, the fully protected driver position was located. The driver was provided with an escape hatch on top of it.

Turret

The turret underwent a redesign to accommodate the larger armament, necessitating several modifications. While the side single-piece crew hatch remained unchanged, alterations were made to the front section of the turret to accommodate the new 4 cm gun, which replaced the previous 2 cm anti-tank rifle. This required a slight enlargement of the opening in the front turret, along with the addition of a protective sleeve for the 4 cm gun. The front observation hatch, adjacent to the machine gun, was eliminated and replaced with a new protective sleeve. Additionally, a storage bin was installed at the rear of the turret to serve as a counterbalance to the upgraded armament and compensate for the loss of internal space.

Armament

The armament selected for the Toldi IIA was the 4 cm 37/42M L/26 gun, a shorter variant of the 37M, which itself was a direct copy of the Bofors gun of the same caliber. Interestingly, this gun underwent its initial testing on the Hungarian V-4 domestic prototype. This gun possessed the capability to penetrate armor up to a thickness of approximately 46 mm sloped at 60° at a distance of 100 m. However, this performance decreased to 36 mm at a range of 1 km. The gun boasted a rate of fire of 16 rounds per minute and a maximum firing range of 8.4 km. The total ammunition load was limited to 55 rounds. To mitigate recoil, a small muzzle brake was affixed to the gun. Given the relatively small size of the Toldi’s turret, interior space was further reduced when this gun was installed. Given the two crew members’ quite limited working conditions, their effectiveness was reduced.

In addition to the main armament, the Toldi IIA was equipped with a 8 mm Gebauer 34/40AM belt-fed machine gun. The ammunition capacity for the machine gun was augmented from the original 2,400 rounds to 3,200.

Armor

The Toldi’s frontal protection relied on 13 mm armor plates, insufficient against any anti-tank weaponry. Due to weight constraints, significant enhancement of armor was not viable. Thus, an alternative approach was imperative. Augmenting frontal armor emerged as the sole viable option. The upper glacis armor was bolstered to 20 mm, while the front superstructure and turret were reinforced to 35 mm. Conversely, side and rear armor remained unaltered.

In 1943, an experiment was conducted on a single Toldi IIA tank (with the serial number ‘H-423’) to assess the effectiveness of installing protective armored side skirts, akin to those utilized by the Germans. The purpose was to provide defense against Soviet anti-tank rifles. These skirts were 5 mm thick, 3.8 m long, and stood at a height of 1.07 m. However, the testing revealed minimal enhancement in protection. The primary drawback stemmed from the additional weight of 500 kg, which significantly impaired the overall driving performance. Consequently, the decision was made not to outfit Toldi tanks with such protective skirts.

Crew

The Toldi I and II had a crew that consisted of three crew members. On the left front side of the hull was the driver. To his rear, in the turret, the remaining two crew members were positioned. Left of the main gun sat the gunner/loader. To the right of the gunner was the commander of the vehicle.

In Combat

Due to the small production orders and slow deliveries, the Toldi IIA was a rather rare vehicle during the war. The Hungarian 1st Army, which saw action in Galicia during 1944, was supported by the 2nd Armored Division, which boasted an inventory of 84 Toldi tanks. Among them, approximately 47 were of the new Toldi IIA version. However, these vehicles were primarily utilized for reconnaissance operations and seldom engaged enemy tanks.

By the onset of September 1944, Hungary’s focus shifted toward Romania, which had switched sides to join the Allies. The depleted 2nd Armored Division found itself in action once more. Due to attrition, the number of available Toldi tanks was reduced to a mere 14. Among these, five Toldi tanks participated in operations against the Romanian forces as part of the Tabay Combat Group. Their attack proved successful, compelling the enemy to retreat. However, upon reaching Marosugar (Ogra), the advancing Hungarian forces encountered a setback, as the retreating Romanians had destroyed the only bridge in the area.

On September 22nd, 1944, the Soviets and Romanians launched a counterattack against the Hungarian forces. To impede the enemy’s advance, the 52nd Battalion, equipped with Nimrod anti-aircraft/anti-tank vehicles, was dispatched. Within the Battalion’s inventory was a solitary Toldi tank, which served as a command vehicle. Despite putting up a determined defense, the Hungarians ultimately lost all vehicles but managed to retreat.

By the end of 1944, the Armored Division had a total of 16 Toldi tanks remaining. Additionally, it received support from the 3rd Tank Regiment, which contributed three operational Toldi tanks. However, by March 1945, all vehicles had been lost, as the 2nd Armored Division faced destruction.
During its operations in the Soviet Union in 1944, the 1st Cavalry Division counted 25 Toldi tanks in its arsenal, although the exact number of the later Toldi IIA variant remains uncertain. These tanks were not deployed directly on the frontline, but rather assigned to safeguard rear supply convoys against potential partisan attacks. Following intense combat at Kletsk in July 1944, the unit suffered substantial losses, with nearly all tanks lost.

Similarly, the depleted 1st Armored Division also possessed a limited quantity of Toldi tanks. Due to the scarcity of tanks, this Division predominantly relied on training vehicles. The Toldi tank utilized by this unit was probably an older variant armed with 2 cm anti-tank rifles.

In Soviet Hands

Considering the significant losses suffered by the Hungarians in 1944, it is unsurprising that the Soviets managed to capture a number of their vehicles. In September, an independent battalion was formed as part of the 18th Army, which was equipped with Hungarian vehicles. By the end of October, the unit reported having at least two Toldi tanks in its inventory. On rare occasions, the Romanians also managed to capture a serviceable Toldi tank, which was then put into service.

Surviving Toldi IIA Tank

Today, only one Toldi IIA is known to have survived and is now located at Moscow’s Patriot Military Museum.

Conclusion

The Toldi IIA represented a desperate effort to repurpose existing vehicles, aiming to enhance their performance through the installation of stronger armaments and improved protection. However, this endeavor proved futile due to the limitations of the lightweight chassis, which hindered the installation of any significant armament capable of effective combat during the later stages of the Second World War. Consequently, the vehicles deployed to the frontline were seldom utilized directly against enemy armor, being predominantly relegated to secondary roles and lost piecemeal as the tide of war swept over Hungary.

Toldi IIA Technical Specification
Crew	Commander/gunner, loader, and driver
Weight	9.35 tonnes
Dimensions	Length 4.75 m, Width 2.1 m, Height 2.02 m
Engine	Bussing NAG L8V 160 HP @ 2,200, eight-cylinder petrol engine
Speed	47 km/h
Range	190 km
Primary Armament	4 cm 37/42M L/55
Secondary Armament	8 mm 34/37M
Armor	13-35 mm

Source

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https://www.armedconflicts.com/Hungary-HUN-c500387